The original recipe for Coca Cola has been a closely guarded trade secret since 1886. But yesterday, “This American Life” public radio show reported the recipe had been unwittingly published in an Atlanta-Journal Constitution article in 1979.
Coke denies that the recipe presented in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution is authentic. Coke's archive director Philip Mooney told "This American Life" that the recipe may well have been a "precursor" to the prized formula, but probably wasn't the version that "went to market."
To dispel any nostalgia for the “good old days,” it’s safe to say that the formula for Coke, regardless of the exact ingredients, was never healthy for consumers. Yahoo News writes that pharmacist John Pemberton reportedly hit upon the formula for Coca Cola in an attempt to overcome the addiction to morphine he contracted after the Civil War; and yes, as often told, the drink originally contained coca leaves laced with cocaine. The company has used cocaine-free coca leaves since 1904 (which means for the first 18 years, they didn’t!).
The original recipe – if that’s what it is -- included alcohol, large amounts of sugar, and one ounce of caffeine, which exceeds current FDA regulations for caffeine.
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